The bow tie is a
fashion
accessory, popularly
worn with other
formal
attire, such
as
suits
or
dinner
jackets. It consists
of a ribbon of fabric tied
around the
collar
in a symmetrical manner
such that the two opposite
ends form loops. Ready-tied
bow-ties are available,
in which the distinctive
bow is sewn into shape and
the band around the neck
incorporates a clip. The
traditional alternative,
consisting of a single strip
of cloth, may be known as
a "self-tie" bow
tie to distinguish it. Bow
ties are most commonly worn
by men.

It originated
among Croatian mercenaries
during the European wars
of the 17th century: the
Croats used a
scarf
around the neck to hold
together the opening of
their
shirts.
This method was soon adopted
(under the name
Cravat)
by the upper classes in
France (then a leading country
in the field of
fashion)
and flourished in the 18th
and 19th centuries. The
famous French writer Honor
de Balzac even wrote a book
on the subject.

Towards the end of the
19th century the free ends
of the bow tie grew longer,
and the
necktie
was born, and the bowtie
slowly went out of fashion
in all but the architecture
classes where it has remained
a defining item of the architect's
uniform.

Although the
necktie
proves most prominent in
today's society, being seen
at business meetings, formal
functions and sometimes
even at home, the bowtie
is making a comeback with
fun-formal events such as
dinner and cocktail parties,
and nights out on the town.
It is also still much more
common to wear a bow tie
with a
tuxedo
than it is to wear a
necktie
with one
previously the bow tie was
the only proper neckware
for a tuxedo.

The UK dress
code of "black
tie" (essentially
the same as an American
tuxedo) requires a bow tie,
though, paradoxically, it
need not always be black
these days. Most military
mess
dress incorporates
a bow tie, which must always
be of the self-tie type.
For a military officer to
wear a clip-on bow tie with
mess-dress or dinner-jacket
is regarded as a faux-pas,
and in many regiments the
offender will be required
to purchase a significant
quantity of champagne for
his fellows, by way of a
fine.

Bow ties are mostly commonly
seen in popular culture
as items of sophistication,
such as those worn by fictional
spy James Bond. However,
they have also been adopted
into the "uniform"
of clowns and male strippers.